Propeller connection and control



Jan. 16, 1940.

J. B. REINHARD AL PROPELLER CONNECTION AND CONTROL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Dec. 29, 1957 4 /////////////l IY/ ///l ///////A A TTORNEYS.

Jan. 16, 1940. J. B. REINHARDET AL 2,

raormmn commcnon 4m) coN'raoL Filed Dec. 29. 1937 a Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR-S A TTORNEYS.

Jan. 16, 1940. J. B. REINHARD ET AL PROPELLER CONNECTION AND CONTROL 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 29, 1937 INVENTORS.

Arromwzvs.

Patented Jan. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

PROPELLER CONNECTION AND CONTROL John B. Beinnard and Lynn J. Koch,Allentown, Pa.; said Reinhard assignor to said Koch Application December29, 1931, Serial No. 182,338

1 Claim.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is an aircraftadvanced primarily by side propellers. The invention aims to providenovel means for mounting and driving the propellers, and for tiltingthem so that they will exert an upward thrust, a downward thrust, or ahorizontal thrust, as may be required. Another object of the inventionis to provide novel means whereby the propellers may be tiltedseparately in pairs. A further object of the invention is to supplynovel means whereby all the propellers may be coupled together foractuation by a single wheel under the control of an operator.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the presentinvention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of thewhat is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention;

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in horizontal section, a device con- 30 structed inaccordance with the invention, sundry parts being sectioned away;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section showing the means whereby rotation andtilting movement are imparted to the propellers;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section, wherein parts are brokenaway;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the ship, looking forwardly;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, with most parts in 40 elevation, showing ameans whereby all the propellers can be coupled together for tiltingmovement from a single steering wheel;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the struca pilot occupying a seat5 in a pilots'compartment 6 formed by a horizontal platform 'I and avertical Wall 8, the wall carrying a rearwardlyprojecting bracket 80.

The body I has laterally-outstanding front and 5 rear tubular bearings9, sustained by braces Ill connected to the body I First or tubularshafts II are mounted to turn in the bearings 9, and to the inner endsof the shafts ll, pulleys l2 and 24 are secured, the pulleys l2 beingforward pul- 10 leys, and the pulleys 24 being rear pulleys.

Elongated gear housings H are secured to the outer ends of the tubularshafts II and extend longitudinally of the machine. Solid or innershafts I5 and 23 are journaled, in the tubular l5 shafts II. The forwardshafts l5 extend into a casing IS on a forward engine I8, the inner endsof the shafts l5 being connected to the shaft of the engine l8 bybeveled gears H. In a like manner, the rear shafts 23.extend into acasing 25 20 on a rear engine 21, the inner ends of the shafts 23 beingoperatively connected to the shaft of the engine 21 by beveled gears 26.

Snort shafts I9, disposed parallel to the line of flight, are mounted toturn in the forward 25 parts of the gear housings M, which are securedon the outer ends of the tubular shafts H. The short shafts I 9 areconnected to the shafts l5 and 23 by beveled gears 20. Front propellers2| rear propellers 22 are secured to the correspond- .ing rear shaftsIS. The gear housings l4 are solid at their rear ends, to offset theweight of the propellers 2| and 22, and are pointed at their rear ends,to produce a streamlineeffect.

The drive for the propellers 2| and 22 is simple, the front propellers2| beingdriven by the forward engine [8, the beveled gears H, the shaftsI5, the beveled gears 20 and the short forward shafts IS. The rearpropellers 22 are corre- 4o spondingly driven by the rear engine 21, thebeveled gears 26, the shafts 23, the corresponding beveled gears 20, andthe correspondingshafts l9.

-Shafts 28 are journaled in the wall 8 and in the bracket 80 and areprovided at their rear ends with wheels 29, accessible to a personoccupying the pilot's seat 5. Secured to the shafts 28, adjacent to thehand wheels 29, are clutch members 42 (Fig. 6). Drums 30 are provided,and are secured to the shafts 28, between the wall 8 and the bracket 80,as shown in Fig. 6.

Double run flexible elements 3| are engaged with one of the drums 30 andare passed over idlers 32, supported for rotation on the machine,

the said flexible elements being looped at 68 about the pulleys |2 thatare secured to the inner ends of the forward tubular shafts il, aconstruction manifest when Figs. 3 and 7 are compared.

Double run flexible elements 33 are engaged with the other of the drums30, and are passed over idlers 34, supported for rotation on themachine, the said flexible elements being looped at 6| about the pulleys24 on the rear tubular shafts II, as disclosed in Figs. 3 and 7.

It will be understood readily that by turning the appropriate one of theshafts 28, by means of the corresponding hand wheel 29, thecorresponding drum 30 will be rotated, and the flexible elements 3|,cooperating with the pulleys l2, will rotate the forward hollow shafts lI, the easings M being tilted, and the forward propellers 2| beingcaused to exert an upward thrust, a downward thrust, or a horizontalthrust, as oocasion may demand.

In a similar way, the other of the shafts 28, operated by its hand wheel29, will actuate the corresponding drum 30 and the flexible elements33,'the pulleys 24 operating the rear tubular shafts H and the rearpropellers 22, the rear propellers being caused to exert an upwardthrust, a downward thrust, or a horizontal thrust, in accordance withthe wishes of the pilot. By a proper manipulation of the steering wheels29, the propellers 2| and 22 may be tilted in pairs or together. It willbe understood that any desired or usual propelling means, supplementalto the propellers 2| and 22, may be furnished.

It is not necessary that both of the wheels 29 be operated in order totilt all of the propellers 2| and 22 together. It is possible to tiltthe said propellers through the manipulation of a single hand wheel 28.One means to that end, but not a compulsory structure, is shown in Figs.5 and 6.

In Figs. 5 and 6, a shaft 31 is mounted to rock in bearings 38 on thebracket 80 and is manipulated by an operating member 38, such as ahandle secured to the shaft 31 between the ends thereof. To the terminalportions of the shaft 31 are secured arms 36 having forks 43 providedwith inwardly extended pins 44 engaged in circumsc'ribing grooves 45formed in the hubs of sprocket wheels mounted on the shafts 28 forrotation and for movement longitudinal thereof. The sprocket wheels 35are connected by a sprocket chain 48, and the hub of each sprocket wheelis supplied with a clutch member 4| adapted to cooperate with the clutchmembers 42 on the shafts 28. I

By means of the handle 38, the shaft 31 may be rocked, and its arms 36will shift the sprocket wheels 35 lengthwise of the shafts 28, until theclutch members Al on the sprocket wheels engage with the clutch members42 on the shafts 28. In this way, the shafts 28 will be coupledtogether, and by operating either of the hand wheels 29, rotation willbe transmitted to all of the tubular shafts all of the propellers 2| and22 being tilted at once, so that they will thrust either downwardly orupwardly with respect to a horizontal plane.

The device is simple in construction, but it affords a means whereby theside propellers of an airship may be driven, or be tilted selectively,in the way hereinbefore set forth.

Having thus described the'invention, what is claimed is:

In an airship, a body, a platform in the body, a support locatedadjacent to the forward end of the platform and disposed substantiallyat right angles thereto, front and rear bearings at opposite sides ofthe body, front and rear first hollow shafts journaled in the bearings,front and rear second shafts journaled in the corresponding firstshafts, propellers carried at the outer ends of the first shafts androtatable about axes parallel to the line of flight, means for drivingthe propellers from the second shafts, rotatable members journaled inthe support and under the control of an operator on the platform,pulleys on the inner ends of the front second shafts, pulleys on theinner ends of the rear second shafts, all of said pulleys being disposedbelow the platform, flexible elements looped about one of the rotatablemembers and about the pulleys of the front second shafts, other flexibleelements looped about the other of the rotatable members and about thepulleys of the rear second shafts, direction changing idlers leading allof the flexible elements outwardly toward the sides of the body anddownwardly below' the platform, and direction changing idlers leadingsaid other flexible elements rearwardly below the platform.

JOHN B. REINHARD. LYNN J. KOCH.

